Dancing Shadows
by JetravenEx
Summary: <html><head></head>Baku-Humanized One Shot. Something's terrorizing the villages in the outskirts of Ventus Country. Driven by his duty to his country Ingram sets out to deal with it. However when he arrives he encounters a teen he isn't sure is friend or foe. Can the two work together to stop the monster that's preying on Ventus? Rated T for safety.</html>


A/N: So here is the first one shot that will be my introduction to my Baku-humanized verse. I wanted to make these one-shots because they give a bit of an introduction to the world and they're a bit more exciting to start off with. Anyways in this story we'll be spending a lot of time in Ventus Country so be ready to recognize some very familiar names and 'faces'

Superior: Anyways, much as JetravenEx would love to, she doesn't own bakugan.

JetravenEx: I don't know WHY considering it's so dead and I could totally write it into something awesome but NOOOO! *pouts*

Superior: *sweat drops* er well, that's the reality of the situation, anyways here's the first one shot in JetravenEx's 'Fighting Bakugan' Series!

Dancing Shadows

The sun was setting, light flickering out in-between the leaves of the trees in the lush forests of Ventus Country.

A shadowy figure zipped between the trees, light green scarf trailing behind him as he darted through the forest, barely rustling the leaves as he passed through.

Nearing the river that ran through the major forest he leapt over it, getting caught by the sunlight that broke through the gap between the trees.

The sun illuminated the young man's spiky green hair that hung partially in his face, the scarf wrapped around his neck and over the mask he wore that concealed the lower part of his face. He wore a black cloak over simple green and gold armor, and black pants with green accents leading down to his boots.

He was bathed in sunlight for only a moment before he disappeared back into the canopy of leaves.

Ventus country was well known for its meadows and the lush green forests it shared with Pyrus Country at its southeast border. The warmth farther south allowed the forest to grow well, while the plentiful clear water they got from the north Aquos Country helped keep the plant life healthy.

But the man, Jin Tanaka, Codename: Ventus Ingram. Did not have time to admire the beauty of his home, he had a mission to make sure Ventus remained safe for all those who lived there. Glancing down at his side he looked at the scroll attached to his belt, confirming it was still there. After confirming he still had it he quickened his pace.

Soon the trees would begin to part revealing a large walled city carved into the side of a small isolated mountain. Ingram dropped down from the tree and ran towards the gate at the front of the city slowing down as he neared the guards stationed there.

"Halt!" One of the men shouted, dressed in black armor with the green Ventus symbol emblazoned on his shoulder. The men focused on Ingram. "Identify yourself."

Ingram stepped forwards and bowed slightly. "It is I, Ventus Ingram, I've come to deliver my report to Taylean as he requested of me." He added pulling the scroll off his belt and showing it to the two guards. One took it and inspected the scroll nodding as he ran a hand over the Ventus symbol etched on the case of the scroll before handing it back to Ingram.

The two men studied him for a moment before one grinned. "Good to see you back Ingram, always makes me feel better when I know one of our best is always on the job."

Ingram smiled slightly beneath his mask as he nodded straightening up as the gate opened before him. "I do my best sir," He said before he began to walk into the city. "That's all I can do." He said before turning away from the guards to focus on the building perched atop a high cliff with the Ventus symbol etched on top of the building. Nodding to himself he took a running start and then with a flying leap jumped onto the roof of a nearby building.

Ingram made his way towards the building at the highest cliff, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, moving swiftly through the city. The people didn't even bother glancing up at the young man running along the rooftop, such a sight was the norm for Ventus's capital city of Izuno. After all, many of those residing in Ventus were ninja's, the country being the most well known for their skilled ninjas and their swift warriors.

Ingram reached the cliff where the government building was perched on with a massive leap from the rooftop just below it. Taking a moment to dust himself off and compose himself Ingram walked over to the building and pushed aside the curtain displaying the proud Ventus symbol on the fabric.

He entered the hallway, separated from the main room of the building by a thin wall. Like at the gate two guards were crouching in front of the entrance leading into the main room. The difference between the two pairs of guards was that these wore a great deal more armor than the simple Falconeer rank soldiers outside. They also bore the raven's crest of the Ravenoid ranks on their shoulder armor.

When Ingram entered the two looked up at him. Ingram halted and bowed.

"Greetings gentleman, it is I, Jin Tanaka, Ingram. I've returned from my mission to gather information for the Guardian." Ingram said straightening up.

The Ravenoid soldier closest to him smiled underneath the helmet that concealed the top portion of his face. "Ah Jin, good timing, Taylean just finished his luncheon, you can go give him your report now." The soldier said gesturing into the room. Ingram nodding.

"Thanks," Ingram said heading inside. He paused a moment once he passed the threshold of the doorway and into the room. He glanced around at the rather plain room, with tapestry's bearing the Ventus Crest placed on the walls. He admired them for all of a second before focusing on the armored man at the end of the room, kneeling on a zabuton, head bowed and eyes closed in deep concentration.

Ingram froze up as he was given the rare sight of seeing the great Taylean without his ceremonial helmet. The man had dark black hair with bit of gray beginning to develop near his bangs. He looked a lot older than Ingram had thought, but then again he covered his whole body in armor which made it rather hard to discern something like age.

Taylean opened his eyes, revealing the forest green irises. "Ah Jin, you've arrived." He smiled slightly. "Tell me what do you have to report?" He asked as he reached down to pick up the helmet that was resting at his side.

"Uh," Ingram hesitated for a moment as he watched Taylean return the helmet to its place on his head, hiding away the aging man behind a mask of impenetrable steel. Realizing he was still standing (and not to mention staring) Ingram hastily moved to kneel before his leader. "Forgive my lack of respect sir," Taylean merely waved his hand at that. Blinking Ingram paused before continuing again. "Anyways, here's the report from the men at Okonos village." He said handing over the report, expression turning grim. "I'm afraid it's as bad as you feared."

Taylean took the scroll and unrolled it, staring unmoving at the words for a moment.

"3 women and 4 children found dead around the outskirts of the village?" Taylean said quietly rolling up the scroll. "This is serious." Taylean muttered as he grabbed his helmet covered chin. "Why in the world would Okonos village wait for inspection to report this?" He mused.

Ingram swallowed. "Because Okonos's leader claims it happened overnight. When I arrived, the village was in panic, many were in the process of fleeing the village already." Ingram bowed his head. "I wanted to stay and investigate sir, but I knew I had to report back to you and see how you responded."

Taylean glanced out the window. "You would've arrived this morning," He mused. "And it's only mid-afternoon, almost record breaking time to get from the outskirts of Ventus country to its heart."

"I had to," Ingram said firmly. "Whatever's attacked Okonos is a dangerous threat that can't be taken lightly." He clenched his fists. "It might be in the outskirts but it killed 7 people in one night, without rousing anyone in the village as it attacked. This is a severe matter, and I didn't want to delay any help getting to Okonos."

Taylean nodded. "You made the wise decision, however," He bowed his head. "You should've sent someone else,"

Ingram stiffened. "Sir?" He said hesitantly.

Taylean straightened up in his kneeling position. "You knew Okonos was in danger yet you abandoned it to bring back a message. Although I do admire your speed in returning, you disregarded the chain of command, that's what the Monarus forces are for carrying messages to and fro across the country."

Ingram's Adams apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly. "But sir, I'm going to go there immediately, just say the word and I'll be back there in a flash ready to hunt down the attacker. But I wanted you to be aware of the incident as soon as possible so you could get together warriors and-" He fell silent as Taylean raised a hand.

"Jin, I appreciate your concern, but your race back here has cost you." Taylean admonished before lowering his hand and heaving a sigh. "Since you did not take advantage of the Monarus forces running back will only tire you out further. You are strong, but this opponent is powerful, and extremely dangerous." Ingram winced as he looked down. "If I were to send you out knowing you'd only be going into a fight exhausted and ill prepared I'd be sending you to your death." Taylean shook his head. "So I'm stationing you here in Izuno until tomorrow."

"But, sir!" Ingram said head snapping up as he worked his jaw underneath his mask. "I can handle this sir! I-"

"Silence." Taylean barked silencing Ingram. "Jin, do not be foolish, regardless of your personal feelings, I cannot afford to risk losing one of my strongest warriors." He shook his head. "And you dare speak out against a direct order? You know the rules, my word is law, and Ventus Warriors who don't follow the rules are scum." He said in a warning tone, fixing Ingram with a glare, Ingram hastily lowering his eyes and bowing his head.

"I-I apologize sir." He said weakly.

Taylean huffed. "Get out, Lenorence should be waiting outside, send him in as you leave." Ingram's eyes narrowed at the mention of the name, but bowed respectively his tall green spikes of hair brushing against the floor he bowed so low. Then rising to standing he turned to leave.

"Oh and Jin?" Taylean said, Ingram turning around.

"Sir?" Ingram said hesitantly.

Taylean's eyes were hard. "If you leave the city before tomorrow morning, you will be court martialed for disobeying a direct order. Is that understood?"

Ingram winced and looked away. "Yes." He said before he left the room quickly.

Taylean remained where he was at closing his eyes tiredly and heaving a sigh as he shifted in place rolling his shoulders the armor rattling with the movement as he grunted. "I'm getting too old for this." He muttered before settling back into his sieza position.

/-/

Ingram sighed clenching and unclenching his right hand into a fist as he walked out of the government building. A harsh gust of wind smacked him in the face as he walked out making him wince as his hair was thrown back by the wind and his scarf was whipped up behind him. Raising his left hand to shield his face he glared towards the source, the wind dying down slightly.

"Lenorence." Ingram growled glaring at the man that was standing near the government building, two guards wearing Ravenoid armor stood beside him. Ventus Lenorence or Liem Turner had short cropped brown hair with the exception of two short bangs that framed the side of his face and a goatee growing on his face. He wore a green jacket over a black shirt with a black breast plate over his vital region, black pants with green armor near his thighs, and black boots on his feet.

"Well, well if it isn't the pride and joy of the Tanaka clan." Liem said with a smirk raising his hands as he appraised Ingram. "Jin Tanaka, the ninja who flees from battle."

Ingram's eyes narrowed. "I didn't flee from battle, I brought a message to Taylean that was-"

"Isn't that a job for a Monarus?" One of the Ravenoids remarked to his buddy. The other Ravenoid chuckling as Liem smirked.

"Maybe he wants to be a Monarus?" The other laughed as he stepped up to stand at Liem's side crowding Ingram, as the other Ravenoid did the same. "Be fitting, he could pull off the fragile butterfly thing fairly well." He mocked. "Got the body for it, just change the hair and he'd fit right in with the ladies."

Ingram clenched his fist working his jaw as he fought to resist the urge to deck the guard in the face. Biting back his rage he said quietly. "Taylean wants to see you." He said to Liem.

Liem grinned as he stepped forwards. "Why thank you for delivering the message, _Monarus_." He said with a sneer before he and his buddies laughed as they walked past Ingram. The two Ravenoids making a point to bump into Ingram's shoulders as they passed.

Ingram didn't move from the push and glared after them, before he whirled around and slammed his fist into the cliff face. He winced at the bite of the rocks in his knuckles as his skin was split. But the pain cooled his rage slightly; the nice dent he put in the cliff face helped as well. Pulling his hand back he inspected his hand taking note of the slight cut in his knuckles. He flexed his hand checking if anything had been broken besides the skin, but his hand seemed fine.

'_Punching walls isn't going to help Jin.'_ Ingram thought to himself as he sighed lowering his hand to his side as he continued slowly down the mountain path. _'But is Taylean right? I know Monarus's carry messages to and from places, but I also know that Monarus's are nowhere near as fast as I am.' _He clenched the fist he punched into the wall. _'This way Taylean knows greatly in advance about the situation and can plan and react accordingly. Whereas before, who knows where that monster might attack next?' _

As Ingram reached the main street of Izuno he headed towards one of the food stalls that specialized in Ramen. Normally Ingram just settled for whatever quick meal he could make particularly quickly, but when he was feeling put off or upset he liked to come to this place.

Stepping into the shop he glanced around before selecting a seat on the far end of the row. He glanced down the row and considered the people gathered at the Ramen shop.There were several aged warriors as well as a few younger ones gathered there, each enjoying a bowl of ramen.

Ingram hadn't sat down for more than a minute when a breeze stirred his spiky green hair and a young woman with green and yellow hair wearing a pale green apron over her green dress now stood in front of him.

"Jin!" She said smiling her bright amethyst eyes glowing. "Jeez you haven't dropped by in forever; I was beginning to wonder if you were dead." She said shaking her head.

Ingram raised an eyebrow. "I know I haven't stopped by in a while Harley. But that doesn't mean I've gone and died." He shook his head.

"Yeah well you receiving your Ventus warrior name is a bit of a big deal you bonehead, and you didn't even show up here to celebrate!" Harley said placing her hands on her hips scowling at him... "Besides that why in the world would they give you a name like Ingram? What's an Ingram anyways?"

Ingram chuckled shrugging. "Gets me," He said resting his elbows on the table. "I'm just glad that I can do more for the Ventus Country,"

"Oh boy here we go again with your whole, duty to protect the people at the sacrifice of yourself." Harley said with a roll of her eyes. "Seriously Jin, leave that stuff for the guardian, you're what only 20? Just do your job of guarding where you're stationed and leave the country protecting to the guardian." She huffed. "It's what Taylean's there for."

Ingram frowned underneath his mask as his eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah well, Ventus is a big country." He pointed out, "and with Lumagrowl keeping everyone on their toes with his declaration of war against Darkus Taylean needs everyone's help to make sure Ventus doesn't get pulled into another big war."

Harley sighed. "Oyo, there's no talking sense into you is there?" She said rhetorically, not giving Jin a chance to answer.

"I do believe I am very sensible Harley." Ingram said folding his arms across his chest. "You and I just have differing priorities."

"Yeah well one of mine is getting paid, so you gonna order or waste my time?" Harley asked pulling out her notepad from her apron pocket and reaching by her ear for her pencil.

Ingram chuckled and shook his head. "I'll get my usual, and you're the one who started talking to me, not the other way around." He said grinning under his mask his eyes closing in a way that exemplified his mirth.

Harley snorted as she jotted down his order. "Yeah, yeah well someone's gotta look out for you, since you don't seem to want to." She said. "I'll be back in a flash." She said rushing off kicking up a breeze in her wake.

Ingram sighed as he settled back on his stool reaching up and pulling down his mask. He wasn't going to be fighting anyone any time soon; so it was all right for Ingram to let Jin Tanaka have a chance to relax right? He smiled and then a pang of guilt rushed through him. While he'd be relaxing, people would be dying at the hands of whatever monster was lurking in Ventus Country. Immediately his good mood washed away, making him sigh as he rested his chin in his hand and glanced around at the other customers.

One of the closer tables to him had a group of young warriors who had been in Ingram's class at the Ninja Academy. He recognized several of them, the boy with the long red hair in dreads was Strikeflier, and the short blond haired across from him with the silver bird like helmet placed on the table beside him was Plitheon. The group was talking animatedly about something and Ingram tilted his head to hear their conversation better.

"And you should've seen that bastards face when I sent him running, showed the fire-breathing wimp that you don't mess with Ventus warriors." Strikeflier was boasting leaning back in his chair with a drink in one hand gesturing it around as he spoke. "He was so scared when me and the Ravenoid guard jumped him, I think he peed himself in his bright red armor."

The boys chuckled as Plitheon quickly launched into a story of his own.

"Yeah well when I was patrolling Aquos's border-"

Ingram tuned the boys out not interested in hearing their tales of small victories achieved over their enemies. Oh it wasn't because he believed to be better than them, it was just that he'd come to realize that those border squabbles were meaningless, nothing gained but increased tensions between the countries.

Was that what the attacks were perhaps? Ingram's eyebrows furrowed as he glared at the wall. Some new weapon Pyrus or Aquos wanted to test against them. Or perhaps a 'gift' from the other countries farther off like Haos across from Ventus perhaps?

A breeze stirred beside him and Ingram glanced to his side at Harley who held a bowl in one hand and reached out to poke him in the arm.

"Penny for your thoughts Jin?" She asked tilting her head frowning slightly as she placed the bowl in front of him. "I know that look; you're trying to figure something out."

Ingram sighed as he straightened up and moved to grab him chopsticks when Harley stopped him.

"Jin," She stressed. "What's going on?"

Ingram scowled and shook his head. "I can't tell you." He said. "Besides, it doesn't matter what I think, Taylean's ordered me from acting." He said with a sigh as he picked up his chopsticks and about to eat when Harley gently grabbed his shoulder.

"Jin, Ingram," Harley said and Ingram turned his head to her. Harley never referred to him by warrior name unless it was super important. Her gaze was hard. "Taylean may be the leader, and maybe he ordered you off from something or whatever." She said waving her free hand flippantly. "But I know you, and you're going to keep feeling guilty and stressing over it. So what I'm going to tell you is you do what you have to do." She said to him.

Ingram's eyes narrowed and he leaned closer to her to whisper. "Are you suggesting I defy Taylean?" He asked in disbelief.

Harley rolled her eyes. "Yes, bonehead. Look the way I see it you have two likely results from whatever you do. You stay here; obey Taylean like the good little warrior, at the price of your consciousness eating away at you if something happens to Ventus." Ingram winced. "OR," She said emphasizing the 'or' "You do what you think is right, go out and do your whole 'protector of Ventus shtick' and then come back, and maybe get chewed out by Taylean."

Ingram's Adams apple bobbed as he swallowed. "He threatened to court martial me." He said.

Harley rolled her eyes. "I just said he'd chew you out," She said. "Come on Jin, don't be such a baby." Ingram opened his mouth to retort when Harley punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Look maybe he will yell at you, or court martial you and whatever, but at least you'll know you did your part to help protect Ventus." She said. "It all depends on what means more to you, so which is it gonna be? Doing nothing and following the rules? Or disobeying orders and protecting the people of Ventus." She added before stepping back from Ingram.

Ingram looked down for a moment before he looked up at her, pulling up his mask to cover the bottom portion of his face. Then reaching down into his pocket he pulled out a wad of cash and placed it on the table.

"Keep the change, and thanks Harley." He said before turning and walking out, the tails of his scarf billowing out behind him.

Harley grinned as she took the money off the table chuckling. "Just make sure you visit more often, playing your counselor pays better than working here." She said with a laugh before she picked up the bowl he'd abandoned and went back into the kitchen.

/-/

Ingram landed on a branch on the outskirts of Okonos. He panted slightly as he wiped the sweat from his brow. It had been taxing to rush all the way from Izuno to Okonos, but he'd made it. Granted the moon was now up high in the sky, the sun having set as Ingram had traveled across Ventus to get to the outskirts.

Ingram squinted into the darkness as he jumped down from the tree branch and landed on the ground within Okonos boundaries. Scanning around confirmed the majority of the village to be empty, the villagers having fled in terror of the mysterious attacks from the night before.

The Ventus warrior frowned as he took a few steps eyes looking around for any sign of movement, but aside from a few torn tapestries blowing in the wind the village was motionless and silent.

Ingram sighed his shoulders slumping slightly. He clearly hadn't thought this through, of course Okonos villagers would run, and what made it worse was they had likely left because without him there to provide protection they wanted to take their chances and make a run for the villages that did have warriors to protect them.

Thus making them trapped in the forest at night, easy prey for the enemy.

Scowling under his mask Ingram jumped back into the trees and took off in search of people. He scanned the ground, the trees, and anywhere else for any sort of trace that could be used to tell him where the people had gone.

Barely a mile out from Okonos, he found it.

Ingram's heart clenched as he spotted the crimson stains on the ground, jumping down he moved quickly through the trees and branches on the ground level. The stains grew larger and longer, the body seeming to have been dragged along on the ground, bleeding all the way.

Eventually Ingram arrived at a small clearing where the moonlight shown through a break in the canopy of leaves above, and Ingram stiffened. The moonlight illuminated the corpse plainly, a bloodied, gouged up torso, with the person's limbs thrown carelessly around the clearing. Ingram edged forwards slowly trying to stop himself from panicking. He stared in shock at the massive slices through the torso, there was a massive hole where the heart would've been, and then at the torso's sides, large chunks of flesh had been ripped away brutally exposing the bloodied ribs beneath.

Bile rose in his throat and it took everything Ingram had to not turn away and puke out the meager contents of his stomach. Instead he steeled himself clenching his fists and bowed his head. What a horrible way for this person to die. Whoever they were, they hadn't deserved this. Guilt pooled in his stomach. Already the monster had taken a life, he had to-

A woman's scream further up ahead made Ingram's head snap up and eyes narrow.

Quick as a flash Ingram was racing through the woods once more. Leaping over rivers, fallen trees, around obstacles the man was a blur as the trees in turn blurred around him. Ingram leaped back up to the branches trying to gain some height.

Up ahead he saw where the tree line ended, leading into one of the large Ventus meadows that were void of any trees, and any cover.

Ingram growled as he quickened his pace, although the attacker would lose the advantage of stealth, there was less cover for any of the Ventus people to take shelter behind or hide in.

Bursting through the tree line Ingram took a mighty leap into the air. While he was airborne he pulled out several kunai from his pouch and gripped them tightly as he searched for the attacker.

It was then he spotted a dark figure moving through the meadow with a small struggling form in its arm.

Ingram scowled as he dropped down to the meadow landing in a roll before he recovered his feet back under him as he rushed towards the figure.

The figure turned slightly, the form in its grasp; Ingram could tell from how small it was now that it was just a kid. Ingram's blood boiled at the sight of the monster holding a kid in its grasp.

With a soft snarl Ingram hurled his kunai at the figure rushing in.

The figure turned to face him fully, and Ingram was surprised by how, _young _he was. The figure was a teen who looked to be 15 at the oldest. The teen had spiky black hair that stuck up all over the place. The teen wore a gray coat, over a black wife beater, black pants, heavy looking black boots, and the most peculiar thing was what he wore over his eyes. Ingram could see the bright purple eyes but over them was the glowing blue lens of a holographic visor.

Ingram narrowed his eyes as the teen merely tilted his head, adjusting his grip on the kid so he held him one handed before raising one arm across his chest. Ingram's expression darkened as dark energy gathered over the younger man's arm leaving a rather bulky looking black gauntlet with glowing purple lines running over it. Clenching his hand into a fist the man crossed the arm over his chest.

"Darkon Shield!" He cried a shield of purple energy erupting in front of him and the kid. Ingram's fist tightening as he watched his kunai bounce harmlessly off the shield. He slowed his charge and advanced towards the teen. Although he hadn't been expecting to meet one so young, that didn't mean he could afford to go easy, evidence pointed to the fact that this guy was the one who'd killed the man at the clearing so brutally, and undoubtedly had done the same with this kids mom/

"That was a warning." Ingram said icily stopping several feet away from the teen who lowered his shield eyeing Ingram his visor gleaming in the moonlight. "Let go of the kid, and surrender now and I'll drag you back to Izuno for your crimes in less pieces." He said as he brought his hand to his other hand and cracked his knuckles. "Otherwise I'll beat you to a bloody pulp for all the people you murdered so brutally in cold blood." He said snarling as he cracked his neck.

The teen frowned as he tilted his head and took a step back the kid whimpering in his arm. The teen glanced at the kid frowning slightly. "You are mistaken," He said raising his purple eyes to Ingram's amber. "I am not here to harm you, I was just-"

"So you kill these people and then have the gall to lie about it?! I heard a woman's scream, and then when I get here you've already moved on to the kid." Ingram rushed forwards scarf billowing out behind him. "I gave you a chance now its time you paid." Drawing back his fist the wind whipped up around him as he launched himself into the air and hurled several kunai at the man once more.

The man scowled. "Damn it." He muttered before he jumped back from the kunai barrage. "I'm not your enemy!" He shouted at Ingram who dove towards him green energy glowing near his hands.

The kid in his grasp whimpered in fear and the man glanced down at him before glancing up at Ingram.

"Give me the kid!" Ingram shouted aiming a punch at the man's head. The man ducked sideways the punch just brushing past his nose as he reached up with his gauntlet covered free hand and grabbed Ingram's arm.

"I can't do that." He said before he whirled around and tightening his grip on Ingram's arm flung him forwards and sent Ingram crashing into the ground. He took a few steps back keeping his grip tight on the kid.

Ingram glared at him as he threw his hands in front of him and flipped over the ground and landed back on his feet. Green energy pulsed through his hands as he rushed forwards blurring into a rush of green energy. "Double Fangs-Jade Wind Shot!" He cried as he slammed a punch into the man's chest making him grunt and stagger back, releasing the kid with a grunt. Then Ingram punched the man in the head with his left fist sending him crashing to the ground with a thud.

Ingram moved gracefully through the attacks and came to a stop several feet away from the teen in a crouch. Straightening up he turned around to look towards the downed teen and kid. The black haired teen was starting to pick himself back up, blinking and shaking his head slowly, seemingly trying to reorient himself after the blow to the head.

Turning to the kid Ingram looked towards him and got a good look at him. The kid looked to be no older than 9 or 10, he had messy blond hair that was sticking up everywhere, and like Ingram he had amber eyes. The kid's eyes locked with Ingram and Ingram frowned as the kids eyes widened in fear.

"MOM!" The kid cried running in the opposite direction. Ingram reaching a hand out after him.

"Kid no!" Ingram shouted taking a few steps after him before breaking into a run. "It's not-" Ingram heard something crack underneath him and Ingram glanced down. Ingram gritted his teeth as he saw the massive cracks spreading out across the ground purple energy rushing through them.

"Mecha crusher!" The teen Ingram downed shouted his gauntlet covered fist pressed against the ground, energy erupting out of it. Then the ground underneath Ingram exploded upwards in large chunks making the Ventus warrior curse.

Jumping to the largest piece Ingram steadied himself looking at the rising chunks of Earth around him. Then steeling himself he leapt to the nearest cracked piece several strands of grass poking out on top of it. Then he leapt to the next, moving quickly as he noted the pieces were starting to slow down their ascension. The pieces began to drop back towards Earth just as Ingram reached the one at the limits of the teen's attack. Ingram glanced down to see he was rushing to Earth pretty damn fast. With a flying leap Ingram jumped off the last piece and landed with a thud on solid ground just as the chunks the teen dislodged came down to Earth with a loud crash and rumbled behind Ingram.

Ingram turned around eyes narrowing as he took in the extent of damage the teen had caused. The whole meadow had been upturned with his attack. And what hadn't been sent flying upwards had deep cracks and grooves in the earth.

'_This kid's powerful,' _but something nagged at him as he glanced around noting the distinct lack of the visor wearing black haired teen and messy blond haired little boy. _'I need to be careful.' _He thought as he moved in the direction the kid had run towards. As he moved he considered his surroundings, the meadow was large, which meant the kid could rip it apart all the easier without any big trees and roots to make such an attack potentially able to backfire on him.

'_But that's not gonna work twice,' _Ingram thought as he quickened his pace breaking into an all-out run. His eyes darted around the meadow and the surrounding trees looking for any sign of movement. He slowed slightly when he noticed someone new, someone, female standing in the middle of the meadow.

Raising an eyebrow at this Ingram changed direction and darted over to her, coming to a stop beside her. "Excuse me." He said. "What are you doing out here?" He asked as the woman turned to him slightly.

He stiffened at the sight of the blood red eyes, and the creepy smile plastered on her face. She chuckled slightly.

"Oh you know, just enjoying some good old Ventus cuisine." She said tilting her head slightly her black hair shifting with the movement, the red coat she wore seemed to twitch towards him but Ingram assumed he was seeing things. "My beloved wanted something new," She said shrugging out of her coat the coat slipping off her body as Ingram took a step back, as the wind changed, throwing the smell of rotting flesh and the metallic scent of blood right in his face. Eyes widening the woman grinned baring her teeth to view, revealing her bloodied smile. "So let's see how we like _you._" She said with a laugh as Ingram jumped back just as the woman took off her coat and hurled it at him.

Ingram was confused. Why had the woman thrown her coat at him, what good would it do? Whipping out a kunai Ingram landed on the ground and rushed towards it gripping the kunai tightly in his hand raising his arm up ready to bring it down and slice through the fabric.

He must've miscalculated or something because rather than slice through the fabric, the coat hit him first, and Ingram barely had a moment to register what was going on as the coat suddenly wrapped around him the sleeves wrapping around his neck making Ingram choke as the rest of the coat encircled the rest of his body and began to squeeze.

Ingram gagged losing his grip on his kunai the knife dropping to the ground as he tried to push the coat off with the arm that was trapped within it while the other tried to yank the sleeves off his neck.

As he struggled with the coat that was suffocating him the woman walked forwards. "Hmm, I wonder how you'll taste." She mused as she reached a hand out to tilt his chin upwards. She grinned viciously and bared her teeth as she drew up. "Come on beloved, we don't have all night, slice him up and we'll share." She said to the coat.

Ingram's eyes widened as the coat began to tighten around his body, the sleeves were still keeping a chokehold on his throat, but they hadn't tightened. He gave a shout as he felt the coat tighten around his chest his ribs groaning at the pressure. Ingram struggled trying to get his arm within the coat but it was pinned at his side.

Then it got worse, it was as if the fabric had gained teeth, by where the coat came together Ingram howled as it dug into his skin and dragged along like a saw splitting his skin apart. Ingram staggered sinking to his knees as he felt his ribs begin to crack making his gagging cries louder.

The woman laughed openly at his misery, throwing back her head and cackling like a maniac.

Ingram looked up at the moon blackness beginning to gather at his vision as the pain of the coat biting and ripping at his skin and crushing him within its deadly hug began to make it too much for Ingram to stay conscious.

'_Am I going to die like this?!'_

"Hang on!" A voice shouted from his left and Ingram and the woman jerked the head to see the black haired teen Ingram had fought earlier sprinting onto the scene.

The woman's eyes narrowed and she barred her teeth at him. "You again?! How dare you interfere?!" She threw back her head and snarled sparks flickering by her mouth. "Burn!" She cried before she spat out a slimy green fluid from her mouth.

The teen dodged out of the way and leaped high in the air over Ingram and over the coat that had him trapped.

Ingram watched the kid dazedly, on the verge of losing the consciousness. The kid flipped over his head and planted his hands on his shoulders, the coat immediately trying to reach up and grab onto the kid as well.

The kids eyes were glowing bright purple as were his gauntlets the kid gripped Ingram tightly as he shouted. "DARKON SHIELD!"

Purple energy ran over Ingram moving between his body and the coat, Ingram crying out as the shield put enough pressure on his chest to break several of his ribs on the right side, making every breath hurt. But then the shield pushed out spreading around him and driving the coat back.

The coat tried to grab onto the kid who was generating the shield but to no avail, the shield reached up to protect the kid from its grasp. Then the kid tightened his grip on Ingram's shoulders.

"If this hurts, I'm sorry." He said quickly looking at Ingram before he threw his legs forwards falling towards the ground still gripping Ingram's shoulders. Then with a grunt as the kid hit the ground he used the momentum to flip Ingram over his head and towards the ground, the shield expanding with the movement forcing the coat off Ingram entirely and into the woman who'd worn it before.

Just before slamming Ingram into the ground the kid let him go and Ingram managed to land on his feet before dropping to one knee.

"Holy fuck." Ingram gasped out gripping his right side where several of his ribs were broken thanks to the kid trying to save his life. He glanced over himself, noting the large cuts and gouges in his skin from the coat trying to rip him to shreds.

The kid moved to his side standing protectively by him. "I would've come sooner, but the kid was being stubborn." He said to Ingram glancing back at him as he eyed the woman who was beginning to pick herself up, her coat managing to hold itself straight up with one of its sleeve wrapped around the woman's arm. The woman was glaring daggers at the teen.

"I would've had him had you not interfered you little brat!" She screeched throwing her head back before spitting more of that green slime at the teen.

The teen hastily crossed his arms, both with the black and purple gauntlets on them now, and another Darkon Shield erupted in front of them the acid hissing as it made contact with the energy shield.

The teen glanced at Ingram as he held the shield. "If you run now, you might be able to make it back to one of the nearby villages. You're hurt pretty badly." He said noting Ingram's injuries.

Ingram grunted as he pushed himself up and pulled out a roll of bandages from one of his pouches. "I'll be fine; can you hold that shield for a little longer?" He ground out, everything hurt, oh Ingram would love to just retreat back and recover. But he had a duty to perform.

The teen nodded. "Yeah I can hold it for a while as long as she doesn't apply enough force to smash it." He said. "You got a name by the way mister?"

Ingram looked up as he began to wrap the large cut in his forearm. "Ventus Ingram and you?"

The kid glanced at him. "I go by Superior." He said before wincing as the coat began to try and wrap around the shield, its saw like edges scraping against the shield.

Ingram snorted. "Got a bit of a superiority complex or something?" He asked as he finished his forearm and moved onto his leg.

The kid-Superior, shrugged. "It's my name." He said simply.

Ingram chuckled shaking his head as he finished wrapping up his wounds as best as he could before he tucked the roll of bandages away. "That'll slow the bleeding at least." He said.

Superior grunted as woman sent a stream of acid and the coat moved behind the shield to start attacking it from the other side. "You good? I really can't hold this shield up indefinitely, I'll run out of power." Superior said wincing slightly.

Ingram straightened up wincing at the pain in his side as he considered their opponents. "I can knock the woman back and potentially take her out; can you keep the coat from getting me?"

Superior clenched and unclenched his fists nodding at Ingram. "I can do that." He said.

"We have to do this quick; I won't last long like this." Ingram said quietly.

Superior nodded, "Count down from five, I'll let the shield drop on your side and push the coat back." He said quietly.

Ingram nodded the woman spewing more acid at the shield, the shield flickering for a brief instant, but one glance at Superior told him it was now or never.

Planting a hand on the ground Ingram reached deep inside himself for the Ventus energy, and the bakugan spirit that lived deep within him. Green energy flowed around him as six light green wings emerged from his back spreading out behind him.

Narrowing his eyes Ingram spread the wings the tips of the feathered appendages pressing against Superior's shield.

Holding up his free hand, he began to slowly lower a finger, 5, 4, 3, Superior tensed minutely clenching his fists, 2, 1….

The shield fell away as Superior raised his fist and Ingram shot at the woman green energy consuming him the shape of a 6 winged birdlike creature appearing in his place. The bird screeching at the woman as it locked onto her talons raised to slash at her. The woman's eyes widened as she spat a few globs of acid at the bird. But the blazing green energy surrounding Ingram's bird form burned it away before it could hit him. Screeching once more the bird rammed into her the woman getting thrown to the ground covered in green flames. She screamed in pain as the green flames tore at her body as the bird flew upwards changing back into Ingram whose wings flapped minutely to keep him aloft.

As Ingram had been dealing with the woman the coat had eagerly launched itself at Superior, eager to wrap him up in its deadly embrace. Superior had his fist raised aimed at the ground, he watched the coat fly closer and closer to him.

Just as the fabric of one of its sleeves barely caressed the area of his neck, Superior slammed his fist into the ground. The purple lines flashed dark purple and the ground erupted upwards with the force of the mecha crusher. The rocks flung upwards slammed into the coat knocking it back from the teen, Superior grinning widely until he watched the coat move through the rocks, slipping in between the gaps like water moving quickly towards the teen.

Growling Superior brought his arms in an x across his chest his gauntlets glowing a lighter purple color as he brought up the darkon shield once more. The coat screeched in outrage as it hit the shield instead of Superior. Immediately it wrapped itself around the dome of energy slashing at it and dragging its bladed edges all over it. The shield wasn't affected by the attack but Superior's eyes were narrowed and his teeth gritted in a grimace.

Ingram frowned as he surveyed the battlefield noting Superior's trouble with the coat.

Cracking his knuckles and spreading his wings he dove down at the coat. His fists aimed straight for the coat's center, green energy blazing around him as he dove right for it.

The coat seemed to twist towards Ingram as he drew nearer; it moved to the top of Superior's shield and spread itself out the jagged edges apparent all along the coat's edges.

Ingram didn't slow down he pulled his wings in moving faster towards the coat, the coat launching itself at him open completely sleeves reaching out ready to wrap around any part of Ingram.

Narrowing his eyes slightly Ingram twisted away at the last second, leaving to coat to warp around nothing but air. Not slowing his speed down at all Ingram dove into the ground splitting apart into five before he and his clones vanished into the ground.

The coat landed on the ground and moved around, seemingly looking around despite its lack of eyes. Then with a screech the possessed object twisted to look at Superior, who was on one knee panting on his jacket was hanging onto him by his elbows exposing the simple grey shirt he wore underneath. The teen lifted his head to eye the coat warily, his gauntlets flickering out before disappearing all together. The coat advancing slowly towards the teen the fabric rustling with the movement, its blades occasionally scraping against a solid rock making a dark scraping sound as it advanced towards Superior.

Superior pulled one arm out of his jacket, his jacket hanging onto him by his left elbow. He narrowed his eyes as he watched the coat make its slow approach. The coat spread itself out its sleeves spread far apart like a person spreading its arms wide open for a big hug.

Superior didn't move as the coat loomed over him, just slowly slipped his other arm free from the sleeve of his jacket. Then he grasped his jacket in one hand and shifted so he was crouching on the ground. He lifted his head purple eyes glaring up at the red coat, waiting for its attack.

Then the coat lunged.

It wrapped its sleeves around Superior, the fabric brushing against the teens back as Superior pushed upwards with his feet jumping upwards releasing his jacket as he did so. The coat immediately reacted spreading open wide to take him within its 'torso'.

For one horrible moment Superior could only see the coat ready to take him inside and squeeze him into paste, when hands grabbed under Superior's armpits from behind.

Erupting from the ground behind Superior and the coat trying to grab him, Ingram had appeared and quickly grabbed onto Superior. Wing flapping double time Ingram hauled Superior out of the coat's grasp and into the air.

The coat shrieked as it was denied its prey once more wrapping around thin air and Superior's jacket.

"Damn I liked that jacket." Superior muttered as Ingram looked at him questioningly to which Superior flashed him a grin.

A loud boom exploded from within the coat. The coat stiffened before it screeched slumping backwards a large gaping hole in the back of it, the tattered remains of Superior's jacket falling to the ground as the coat writer its sleeves waving wildly all about.

With the coat dancing around frenzied from the pain, 4 Ingram's erupted from the ground and rushed at the coat each transforming into their bird form and flying at it wrapped in green fire. They rushed at the coat and grabbed a hold of it the green flames on their bodies spreading to the coat, lighting it ablaze.

The coat screeched as it writhed and danced with the fires surrounding it, struggling to pull away from the four Ingram's who were burning it.

"Oh no you don't." Superior growled as he and Ingram landed back on the ground. Superior gritted his teeth sweat gathering at his brow as he gathered energy his gauntlets appearing back on his hands. Screwing his eyes shut he punched his fists together and then with the gauntlets glowing light purple he slammed his palms on the ground purple energy rushing forwards and forming four walls around the coat and the flames, penning the coat in with the fire.

The coat continued to screech and thrash about in the flames Superior shaking with the effort to maintain his Darkon Shield. But despite the shaking in his arms the teen narrowed his eyes and remained firm despite it.

Just as the coat began to sink into the flames and seem to really start to die, was when the scream ripped through the air.

Superior groaned. "Don't tell me." He said releasing the darkon shield; glancing back to make sure the coat was still burning before turning to look towards the sound.

"The kid!" Ingram said immediately at which Superior groaned. They looked towards where the woman had been suffering at the hands of Ingram's flames earlier, and who was now absent from the scene.

"Crap." Superior said as he glanced back at the coat then in the direction of the scream. "We need to help the kid." He winced as he let his gauntlets disappear.

Ingram nodded eyeing the still burning coat as well. "Right" He said, "I don't have long before I'm forced to drop this form." He said spreading his wings and grabbing onto Superior. The teen tensing up as Ingram wrapped his arms across the kid's chest to keep him from sliding out of his grasp. "Now don't squirm or I might drop you."

"I'm not a child!" Superior said frowning slightly as another scream ripped through the air. Making him jerk in Ingram's grasp turning his head this way and that trying to pinpoint it exactly, then he jabbed his finger in the direction where the scream had come from. "That way!" He shouted Ingram taking off in the direction flying high above the tree tops peering through the canopy of leaves.

"I can't see him." Ingram said scowling after struggling to see through the thick foliage.

"I got it." Superior said reaching up to tap something on the side of the visor he wore; the visor changing color from the blue it had been to a muted red. With the visor altered the teen peered down at the world below turning his head this way and that as he scanned the area below. "I'm getting heat signatures over there." He said pointing a bit farther up ahead.

Ingram nodded as he flew over there and then carefully lighted down on one of the high branches, he and Superior peering down at the ground below.

On the ground the woman was standing over the little blond haired kid. She had the kunai that Ingram had dropped earlier in the fight in her hand and she had it placed over the kid's throat.

"Now then sweetie, you're going to stay very still, wouldn't want you do die before my two guests arrive for dinner." She said plastering a fake smile on her face as the kid shivered in her grip.

Superior glanced at Ingram who nodded and the two dropped down on the woman, the woman chuckling.

"There you are!" She cried spinning around and slamming a kick into Superior's chest sending the teen flying into a tree. The tree giving off a crunching sound as Superior left a large dent in the poor tree. The teen groaned as he hit the ground with a thud, the kid immediately trying to push himself back up.

Ingram landed on the ground with a thud rushed at the woman drawing back his fist and about to let it fly at her; when the woman tsked and pressed the kunai against the kid's throat. The kid whimpering softly as a small cut was made. Ingram stopped dead eyes narrowing as he held his fist inches from the side of the woman's head.

The woman chuckled softly as Ingram drew back clenching and unclenching his fists his wings folding behind him. "I must admit you two have been the most fun interruptions to dinner that my beloved and I have had in a long while." She said.

"What the hell is your deal?" Superior demanded as he picked himself up from the ground, rubbing his shoulder wincing minutely.

The woman raised an eyebrow. "So you two don't know who I am?"

"Besides a freaky cannibal?" Superior asked rhetorically the woman narrowing her eyes and pulling the blade off the kid's neck to slash the kids arm the kid crying out. Superior's eyes widened and his fist clenched tightly at his side, the kid's eyes welled up with tears clutching at his now bleeding arm as the woman licked the blood off the blade.

"How rude." She said as she returned the blade to where it was pressed against the kid's throat. "And to think I pardoned you for interrupting my dinner with my beloved."

Ingram eyed her and the kid the kid looking at him and Superior with huge eyes, the kid's eyes watery as he looked fearfully at the lady who held him.

"Anyways, I was about to say, I'm the one they call 'The Red Coat'." She said smirking at the three, "Tremble in fear as you realize it's hopeless." She said bursting into insane laughter.

Superior merely blinked and looked to Ingram and tilted his head to the lady eyebrows raised. It was clear that he had no idea who The Red Coat.

Ingram however narrowed his eyes. "So you're the woman, who killed her beloved husband after you found him attempting to hook up with another woman. It's said you painted your once white jacket red with his blood, which was then possessed by his soul."

"And that every life my dear beloved consumes makes him even stronger." The woman said grinning like mad. "Isn't it glorious?! Now my beloved and I can never be apart! We can enjoy meals together all the time, and there's no threat of any other woman trying to take him away from me anymore!" She said bursting into laughter.

Superior frowned and glanced at Ingram.

Ingram could feel his form on the verge of fading, if they were going to do something. They had to-

He frowned when he heard a rustling sound that sounded like crinkled old paper, coming from the trees just behind him. He cast a glance at Superior who had turned his head to glare in the direction of the forest, taking a few steps back.

The woman however laughed. "And look who decided to join us!" She said gesturing towards the shape that slipped out from behind the tree and advanced towards them.

The Red Coat had seen better days; flames had scorched the edges turning them ragged and black. It still had the hole in the back that the small bomb Superior had placed in his jacket had caused. It snarled at Superior and Ingram who drew closer together the two eyeing the Red Coat and the Woman warily.

"Now what?" Superior muttered to Ingram.

"We do what we can, if we get them to engage us, they'll leave the kid alone and he can run away." Ingram said clenching his fists as he watched the woman pushed the kid away and advanced towards Ingram and Superior.

"Well, now that my beloved has joined us, I believe it's time that dinner was served." The woman said baring her teeth cackling as she rushed at Superior.

Superior scowled, as he rushed at her as well aiming a punch at her chest the woman laughing as she drew back her head and spat out a spray of acid.

Superior threw himself to the side rolling away from the acid spray as best he could. Crying out as some got on his arm burning the skin. Glancing down at his arm he narrowed his eyes and rushed at her once more his gauntlets forming as he went. Then just a foot away from her he jumped upwards and slammed a gauntlet fist into the ground the ground splitting open under foot. However rather than explode upwards in large rocks like it did in the meadow the attack resulted in an explosion of rocks of various sizes.

"Ha! You're attack is doomed to fail in the woods!" The woman sneered as she shot another stream of acid at Superior who hastily raised a Darkon Shield to protect himself with. The teen blinking and shaking slightly, the exertion beginning to get to him.

Ingram wasn't faring much better, even with his winged form giving him greater speed and resistance to attacks, the coat was ruthless. Every time he thought he'd gotten a grip on the slippery piece of fabric it would disappear into the trees and sneak around behind him.

He snarled and he flapped his wings and began to get airborne to try and get a better view. Then he felt something brush by his wings and then excruciating pain erupted from his back

Crying out Ingram dropped out of the air and landed with a thud, a glance back showed the coat slicing into his fragile wings with its jagged edges chopping up feathers and bone all in one go.

Ingram gritted his teeth, he had to do something or the coat would move down his wings and get to him.

Making a split second decision Ingram let his wings drop and he threw himself forwards, half stumbling away as the coat dropped down on the area where Ingram had been standing just moments ago.

Shaking as phantom pain still lanced through his back from where his wings had been brutalized he drew back towards Superior who was gritting his teeth and struggling to keep his shield up.

The woman stopped spraying Superior with acid and instead rushed forwards slamming her fists against his shield making Superior drop it. Superior drew back bumping into Ingram the two standing back to back facing the woman and the Red Coat.

Ingram growled. "What do we do?" He muttered.

Superior glanced at him. "I'm not too sure." He admitted. "We need to end this though." He eyed the woman who was advancing towards them and then glanced around at the trees around them. "And I might have an idea."

"Do I get to know what it is?" Ingram asked eyeing the red coat which loomed over him unfurling itself ready to take him inside once more.

"Eh, you'll know when it's happening." Superior said as he braced himself. "They're going to come at us with their attacks, get out of the way and leave the rest to me." He said.

"Let's Eat!" the woman cackled as she and red coat leaped forwards at Superior and Ingram.

Ingram didn't hesitate. Grabbing Superior's arm he dragged him down into the shadows with him Superior struggling at first before the teen went limp.

As they sank into the ground Ingram watched as Red Coat and the woman collided the two shrieking as they initially struck each other, the woman cutting a nasty slice through the Red Coat's fabric and Red coat taking a bite out of the woman's forearm.

Appearing several feet away from the struggling woman and coat. Ingram released Superior.

"All right whatever was the plan after that, do it now!" Ingram shouted Superior nodding as he slammed his fist into the ground.

"Mecha Crusher!" He shouted massive cracks erupting all around them the ground shaking as the energy erupted upward, like before dust and dirt was kicked up along with several large boulders, but the roots dampened the worst of it.

The woman could be heard laughing in the center of the clearing as the dirt and rocks were showered down upon her and her Red Coat.

"Oh we're in so much agony! I might choke on dust! Hahahaha!" She laughed the coat making no sound as it moved about trying to locate where its prey had gone.

It was then a loud creaking sound could be heard. The woman frowned. "Oh are you trying again? What going to cause a small scale eruption of magma in Ventus Country just to get little old me?" She asked.

The creaking sound grew louder and louder the woman frowning as she looked down at her feet the ground underneath her feet was cracked, from the two time Superior had already used Mecha Crusher, but she didn't see any new cracks forming, nor any dark energy flowing into the cracks to send them erupting upwards at her and Red Coat.

The creaking sound became cracking and she stiffened up as it came to her what the cracking was, she raised her head and her eyes widened.

"Well damn you." She said just as the large tree trunk came down on top of her smashing the mad woman underneath it.

For a few tense moments the clearing was silent with Superior panting heavily slumping forwards on the ground his gauntlets disappearing as he ran out of energy completely. He and Ingram watched tensely for the dust to settle with bated breath.

The dust settled to reveal one large downed tree, and a growing pool of blood gathering underneath it.

Ingram moved away from Superior to go over to the downed tree and inspect it. Taking care to keep his distance and a kunai knife at ready he watched the tree for movement. For a moment there was none but then he heard an all too familiar rustling noise as the red coat struggled to pull itself free from the tree that had it pinned down.

Ingram stayed back as the coat began to pull itself free and rise up to consider Ingram.

Ingram groaned as he glared at the item that refused to call it quits. He braced himself pulling out several kunai preparing himself to fight.

The red coat made a rush at him but Ingram was so fed up with dancing around this thing. Hurling a kunai at it he cut a small clean hole through it. Then wielding the other one he spun around and slashed the kunai at its sleeve. The red coat giving an ethereal shrieking noise as Ingram cleaved the sleeve off its being.

Waving its other sleeve around in agony the coat snarled before it launched itself at Ingram.

Only to hit a familiar purple shield.

Superior glaring from where he was propped up on his elbows on the ground.

"Burn that son of a bitch already." Superior ground out as he forced his shield to form four walls.

Ingram nodded as he gathered green energy and summoned a clone using Shadow split. Then closing his eyes and concentrating hard Ingram had his clone disappear into the ground.

Within Superior's cage the coat thrashed and banged around slamming against the walls desperate to get free.

Then Ingram's clone emerged from within the trap. The coat shrieking in delight as it wrapped around Ingram's clone.

And was once again hit with a massive explosion.

This time however the explosion was much bigger than the one Superior had placed in his jacket. Ingram and Superior watched with weary expressions on their faces as the coat was ripped apart into confetti from the blast.

Once the explosion had died down Superior lowered the shield and dropped to his knees on the ground beside Ingram.

"Is it over?" He muttered weakly.

Ingram glanced over at the torn off sleeve and the confetti like remains of the red coat.

"Yeah, yeah I think it is." Ingram said dropping down beside Superior.

"Well, that was fun." Superior said sarcastically flopping onto his back. "Let's never do that again." He said reaching his hands up to rub his eyes.

Ingram chuckled. "I think I can get behind you on that one kid." He said as he glanced up at the starry sky over their heads. "But the good news is now the Red Coat won't terrorize anyone ever again." He said glancing over at Superior. "Means we did good."

Superior grunted. "For now." He said frowning slightly moving his hands up behind his head and looked up at the sky.

Ingram sighed as he pushed himself into a standing position, although he wanted to do nothing more than lie there and relax he knew there was still work to be done. He sighed; the remains of the red coat would need to be disposed of, along with confirming the woman's death for sure.

"Is it safe now?" A small voice spoke up from behind a tree, on the edge of the clearing. Ingram whipped around and Superior lifted his head from the ground glancing towards the source. The little blond haired boy with messy blond hair peered out from behind the tree.

Ingram nodded. "Yeah, don't worry we took care of the Red Coat, you're safe now." He said as the boy nodded and moved over to them he walked over to Ingram and glanced at where the coat had been reduced to confetti.

"It's not going to reform together… right?" The kid asked looking up at Ingram brown eyes wide.

Ingram glanced back at the coat before he looked at the kid and shook his head. "Course not," He said reaching a hand up to pat the kids head. "Besides, I'm going to burn every last scrap of it so it doesn't even have a chance to come back."

Superior pushed himself to his feet. "What are you doing over here anyways? I thought I told you to stay in the cave I had you hiding in." He said frowning as the little blond boy looked down.

"I wanted to find my parents. The woman took my mom, so I was-I wanted to find her and bring her to safety." The kid said looking down at his hands and then looking imploringly at Superior. "Superior, you said that when you took the crazy lady down you'd take me to my parents. So… Can we go see them?" He asked looking at Superior and then at Ingram.

Superior's expression darkened and he looked at Ingram the older man's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the kid.

'_Great, of course this couldn't just end with us finishing off the bad guy.'_ Ingram thought to himself as he crouched down beside the kid "Look, kid, there's something you need to know." He reached out his hands and grabbed onto the kids arms gently as he looked the kid straight in the eyes. "Your parents… They're not coming back." He said.

The kid blinked and his eyes began to well up with tears. "Wha-what do you mean? Is it because I disobeyed Superior? If it is I'm sorry! I won't do it ever again! I just-" He looked imploringly at both Superior and Ingram.

Ingram sighed, shaking his head slowly as he tightened his grip slightly on the kid's arms. "No, no kid it's not like that. It was nothing you did." He swallowed and opened and closed his mouth for a moment before he forced out the next few words. "Your parents loved you very much, they did everything they could to protect you, but… I'm so sorry kid, they're, they're…" Ingram struggled to force out the word the kid looking at him with pleading eyes. "They're dead." Ingram forced out.

The kid's eyes widened and the floodgates opened as the tears began to stream down his face. "D-dead? But they can't be… Dad was supposed to watch me as I used my spirit powers for the first time, and Mom and I were going to make cookies for the nice lady next door. They can't be dead!" He cried pushing away from Ingram. "You're wrong! Mom and Dad can't be dead! They wouldn't leave me!" Sniffling and holding back sobs he glared at Ingram. "You're wrong!" He cried rushing at the man and punching him, Ingram hissing in pain as the kid got him in the side.

"Agh! Kid I'm sorry but its-"

"No you're wrong!" The kid shouted running past him and racing towards the direction that would take him to the meadow. "They're not dead they would never leave me!" The kid sobbed out as he slowed his pace and began to stumble sniffling and sobbing.

"You're right." Superior said loudly walking over to the kid and crouching down so they were eye level, the kid turning to look over at him warily sniffling slightly. "They would never leave you." He assured him.

The kid blinked at him and rubbed at his eyes. "Th-then why won't you guys take me back to them?"

Superior looked towards Ingram and then back at the kid. "Because unfortunately as Ingram said, they, they are dead. They're not here." He said gesturing at the forest around them.

"They're not in the forest?" The kid said.

"Their bodies aren't fit to hold their souls anymore, so their souls moved out of them." He said, the kid blinking in confusion and tilting his head to the side. "Look what'd you say your name was again?"

"Torry, well Torrence Hachiro, but everyone calls me Torry." Torry said sniffing slightly. "So where'd the souls go?"

Superior smiled softly. "Well everyone has a lot of different theories about that, but I know one thing for sure, they're right here." He said pointing to Torry's chest. "In your heart. And there's nothing in this world that can take them away from you anymore."

Torry blinked. "That's stupid!" He cried the tears falling again. "I don't want them in my heart, I want them here! I want them to be with me!" He sobbed as he covered his eyes and bowed his head. "I want my mom and dad to be here, doing stuff with me, and just… being with me!" He cried.

Superior sighed and he placed a hand on the kids shoulder. "I know the feeling kid." He said softly, Torry still crying as Superior looked at the kid, smiling sadly. "I didn't lose my parents since my creat-dad. My dad is still alive." He said quickly. "But I did lose two of my closest friends, and I-I miss them all the time." He said closing his eyes and shaking his head. "But even though there isn't a day that goes by where I wish I could have them with me again, I recognize that they aren't gone. Their memory lives on," He said opening his eyes and smiling now said. "In here," He pointed at his head. "And most importantly in here." He said placing his free hand over his heart. "Just as your parents memory will live on." He said reaching out to point at Torry's heart. "In here, with you, and that's something that can never ever die, or be taken away."

Torry placed a shaky hand over his heart as Superior pulled his hand back the boy looking up at Superior, before bursting into sobs and throwing himself into the teen's arms. The teen grunted falling back on his behind in surprise as the kid hugged him tightly sobbing into Superior's shirt. But the teen merely sighed and held the kid rubbing a hand over the kids back.

"It's okay." Superior said softly. "It's gonna be okay. It gets better." He said.

Ingram stood rooted to the spot trying not to gape as Superior calmed the crying boy down. He hadn't expected the strange intruder to be able to calm the kid quite as well as he had. Chocking it up to the teen being some kind of 'master of children' or something, Ingram began to gather together the remains of the Red Coat. He swept the confetti pieces of the coat together so they were in a neat pile far away from the blood stain by the tree. With them piled together he went over to the sleeve he'd ripped from the coat and was just picking it up when he heard rustling overhead.

Ingram turned his head eyes searching the trees, tensing up as he spotted several figures drawing near. He frowned and reached for his last kunai when he caught a glimpse of the raven's crest of the Ravenoid ranks on one of the armored figures.

"Whoa!" Ingram called out making Superior and Torry look up. He shoved the sleeve of the red coat in his pouch and raised his hands up into the air. "We're not enemies; it's me, Ventus Ingram! We need a bit of help here!"

Several soldiers dropped down near Ingram and approached him, as another two dropped down by Superior and Torry.

"Ingram?" Ingram turned his head to the female Ravenoid to his left. "What are you doing out here? I thought the Guardian had you on house arrest in Izuno?"

Ingram reached up a hand to rub the back of his head. "It's… Complicated, to say the least. Look, I have the remains of a dangerous attacker, and a kid that needs to get shelter somewhere, along with a Good Samaritan who helped me out. So first I-"

"Will shut up, and be prepared to be taken back to the Guardian for his disobedience." Ingram gritted his teeth as he glanced between the Ravenoid's to see Lenorence walking towards him the man's head tilted upwards, a shit eating grin plastered on his face. "So you think the rules don't apply to you do they Ingram?" He said as he walked up to Ingram so they were barely a foot apart, Lenorence's head tilted to the side, hands clasped behind his back. He tsked and shook his head. "Why I wonder if when Taylean's done with you, you'll be even fit for the _Monarus _ranks."

"Hey! He stopped a raging lunatic who was bent on killing people!" Superior shouted from across the clearing, two Ravenoid's holding him back by his arms, Superior straining against them trying to pull free.

Lenorence scoffed. "And even worse, you let an intruder into our territory! My, won't the guardian be _displeased_." He said tsking as he shook his head.

"What should we do sir?" The Ravenoid on Ingram's left said looking at Ingram awkwardly.

"First, cuff the traitor, and the intruder, I'm sure the Guardian will love to chat with them," Lenorence said sneering as Ingram glared at him as two Ravenoid's came up behind Ingram and cuffed his hands behind his back. The same being done to Superior, the teen growling and glaring at the Ravenoid's as they did so.

"Hey what are you guys doing?!" Torry cried rushing over to one of the guards cuffing Superior. He reached up and grabbed onto the limb within his reach, which happened to be the man's armored leg. "Let him go! Superior and Ingram didn't do anything wrong!" He cried.

The Ravenoids cuffing Superior exchanged glances.

"Uh, don't worry kid; we're just taking them in to see Taylean." The guard said gently prying the kid off his leg. "In the meantime why don't you run back to your mommy and daddy and leave these two to us?"

The guard stiffened as Torry's eyes welled up with tears. Superior turned his head and saw this and sighed shaking his head. "Nice going, that's the _perfect_ thing to tell a kid who just became an orphan," He said as Torry began to start crying again.

Torry began to wail as the guard looked around wildly for anything that might quiet the kid down, Lenorence and the other guards beginning to take notice.

Lenorence scowled looking past Ingram to fix his eyes on the guard. "Can't you shut the kid up?!" He snarled glaring at the guard Torry was clinging to.

"I-I don't know how to sir!" The guard cried pushing Torry off him, as he drew back. "I don't know the first thing about kids I'm just an officer!" He said holding his hands up in a helpless gesture.

Lenorence growled as Torry went over to Superior and wrapped his arms around the teen's waist, Superior glancing down at the kid and then looking up at Lenorence, glaring at the man.

"Seems I'm the only one who can calm the kid down." Superior said simply. "Meaning he stays with me." He narrowed his eyes at Lenorence who growled.

"Very well." Lenorence conceded before he whirled around to look at the other guards. "Those of you, who won't be coming with me back to Izuno, scour the area!" He ordered. "Locate any and all evidence that can explain what happened here. Then after you've determined what happened, torch the whole area." As he said that the guards who weren't near Superior or Ingram nodded and they darted back into the trees.

Sighing to himself Lenorence turned back towards Ingram, Superior and Torry and the Ravenoids surrounding the three. "Well, now then, let's get back to Izuno." He said with a smirk as the Ravenoids grabbed onto the arms of their prisoners and pushed them forwards, Superior and Ingram complying all while shooting glares at Lenorence's head. Torry walked beside the guards that held Superior, occasionally shooting glances at the teenager.

As the group began to make their way slowly towards Izuno, the sky began to turn lighter towards the East, signifying the beginning of another new day.

/-/

It was midmorning at least by the time they arrived back in Izuno. Ingram was practically dead on his feet. Not only were his injuries paining him greatly, and his right side felt like it was on fire, but he was just overtaxed by all that had transpired that night, and the traveling back to Izuno through the night without rest only made it all the worse. But one look at Lenorence's smug expression as he went up to the guards at the gate, made Ingram force himself to stand up straighter despite his exhaustion and pain. He refused to let himself look weak, or defeated near this man. This man who went out of his way to tear Ingram down, every chance he had.

"Lenorence, you've returned!" One of the two Falconeers said as they went into attention as Lenorence approached.

Lenorence nodded hands clasped behind his back once more. "Good morning gentleman, I come bringing a traitor and an intruder to be judged by the Guardian." He said flashing a meaningful look at Ingram and Superior.

Ingram narrowed his eyes but forced himself to look calm as the Falconeers gaped at Ingram.

"Ingram a traitor? But, that doesn't-that can't be true!" One of the Falconeers said taking a step back shaking his head.

Lenorence scoffed. "Believe what you like, but he disobeyed a direct order from the guardian!" He said shooting a dirty look at Ingram who lifted his chin and glared defiantly at Lenorence. "He's a disgrace to the Ventus name."

The Falconeer exchanged looks as they studied Ingram and Superior. "I think you should take them to get patched up before you take them to see the Guardian, Ingram looks to be in bad shape." The female one remarked nodding to the bloody bandages wrapped around Ingram's arm and leg.

Ingram shot a grateful look at the Falconeer who had spoken, while Lenorence pulled a face. "Thank you Falconeer," He said nodding. "But, I'd rather speak to Taylean immediately anyways." He said, _'Because I'd rather not let Lenorence get to speak to Taylean without me.' _He thought nodding to Lenorence. "Let's get on with this then." He said simply.

Lenorence scowled curling his lip baring his teeth but he said nothing as he whipped around and walked through the gate. The ravenoids holding Ingram and Superior following after him.

Ingram looked at the female Falconeer as they passed the guards. The female smiled at him softly. "Good luck Ingram, don't let Lenorence have his way." She said softly.

Ingram nodded unable to say anything as the Ravenoid's hurried him along. Which Ingram was grateful for, as Lenorence made a point of walking right through the city, right where just about all of Izuno was out and about? As Lenorence approached the people glanced up in confusion, their eyes traveling over to the Ravenoids and their charges. They moved to the side as they walked past several of them pointing at Ingram and whispering amongst themselves.

Ingram glanced at Superior, the teen pointedly looking straight in front of him, paying no mind to the Ventus Citizens on either side of them. Several of the citizens who weren't pointing at Ingram, or had gotten bored of discussing him fixed their attention on the young teen. Although no one asked them out loud, Ingram would bet the questions running through the masses were anything from who's the kid, what's he done, and why's Ingram being arrested, etc. Then of course there were the people who didn't bother asking the questions and just chose to glare at Ingram and Superior.

Ingram wondered briefly if Torry was still walking beside Superior. The boy had been pretty adamant for staying with the one person who seemed to understand his pain, and seemed to genuinely care about it. Then again, the child was at a very impressionable age, he must see Superior as some kind of super hero who had come to his aide.

Keeping his head held high, despite the rumors running through the crowd and the glares and dirty looks he was receiving, Ingram forced himself to move with an appearance of calm and dignity. If Lenorence was trying to make him look as bad as possible then Ingram wasn't about to let him get away with it.

It was several minutes of enduring the looks, the whispers and the rumors being spread around before finally Lenorence and his 'prisoners' reached the Guardian's office. Lenorence stepped in announcing himself to the Ravenoid guards.

"And I bring two prisoners, one traitor and one intruder to be judged by Guardian Taylean." He said nodding to where Ingram and Superior stood.

The Ravenoid guards straightened up and looked at Ingram before exchanging looks with each other before they nodded and moved to the side, allowing Lenorence and his group through.

Lenorence grinned as he stepped into the room where Taylean was kneeling on his zabuton as he had when Ingram had seen him yesterday afternoon. Only this time Taylean was looking right at them. When Lenorence entered Taylean rose to standing.

"Guardian Taylean." Lenorence said getting down on one knee and placing a closed fist over his heart as he bowed his head. "I bring you these two prisoners to be judged. Jin Tanaka, who disobeyed your order to stay within Izuno, and an intruder who he not only allowed on our territory, but seemed friendly towards. An intruder we believe to be the cause for the 10 deaths of the Okonos citizens." He said.

Superior's eyes widened. "What but I-"

"Silence!" One of the Ravenoid's snapped hitting Superior in the back of the head making the teen stumble forwards before the Ravenoid's shoved him down onto his knees on the ground in front of Taylean. "You do not speak unless spoken to!"

"Superior!" Torry cried moving towards the teen but was stopped and held back by the Ravenoid who wasn't holding Superior down in a kneeling position.

Taylean tilted his head eyeing Superior before he turned to Ingram who still remained standing. "Jin, I thought I had made it clear that you were to stay within Izuno." He said looking him up and down noting the injuries to his arm and leg.

Ingram knelt down on the ground in front of Taylean as well. "Taylean, sir, if I may." Taylean nodded and Ingram continued. "I couldn't bring myself to ignore the extreme danger that Okonos and the other villages were in. I know you ordered me to stay put for my own safety, but I-I couldn't stand the thought of them getting hurt while I was safe and sound in Izuno." He bowed his head. "I know I disobeyed you and I apologize for that. But I don't apologize for risking my life to protect others; my actions saved this boy's life." He nodded to Torry. "And several others."

Taylean glanced at Torry the boy looking uncertainly up at Taylean. Taylean clasped his hands behind his back. "Lenorence, tell me what you found when you arrested these two." He said.

Lenorence nodded his head. "Sir, we found these two with the young boy in a clearing. We'd already spotted the corpse of presumably a man."

"Presumably?" Taylean repeated.

Lenorence nodded. "We found a torso, and the limbs scattered around it. After a bit of searching we found a brutalized skull nearby. We-we aren't 100 percent certain it is a man, but the body structure points towards that conclusion." He said shaking his head. "But it was brutal sir, whatever did that to him was truly a monster." He said looking pointedly at Superior who frowned but said nothing, Ingram eternally grateful the kid didn't rise to the bait this time.

"Anyways, I sent my warriors out to look for more evidence and clues as for what happened, but all we found was the meadow ripped up, a woman drowned in a river with similar rips and tears in her body like the man." Lenorence glanced at Torry. "She looked rather like that kid, it wouldn't be surprising if the two we found were that kids parents." He said nodding to Torry. "And the intruder was probably waiting for an opportunity to kill the kid as well."

Although, Superior and Ingram had already told him that his parents had died, they'd purposefully avoided telling him how they'd likely died. Torry's eyes welled up with tears.

"That's a lie!" Torry shouted angrily pushing past the Ravenoid guard, tears pricking his eyes. "Superior saved me! He and Ingram stopped the crazy lady from killing me! How dare you say that about him?!" He said clenching his fists at his sides.

Lenorence glared at the brat while Taylean tilted his head at the kid.

"Young man, what is your name?" Taylean asked.

Torry sniffed but lifted his chin. "I'm Torrence Hachiro, Everyone calls me Torry." He said. "And you can't let this guy do all the talking!" He said jabbing a finger at Lenorence. "He wasn't even there!"

Lenorence scowled. "Rude brat, how dare you speak like that in front of the Guardian?" He said advancing towards Torry.

"Liem." Taylean said holding up a hand to stop him. "Thank you for your contribution, but I will now pass judgment on these two after hearing their side. You and your guards may step out for now. I will call you back in after I've judged them." He said simply looking pointedly at Lenorence.

Lenorence scowled but straightened up and left his Ravenoids hesitating a moment before they followed after him as well.

Taylean sighed and looked towards Ingram. "Jin, according to Lenorence, he seems to believe that this young man." He gestured to Superior. "Is the one responsible for the deaths in Okonos? However, I think his judgment may be a bit clouded. What do you have to add?"

Ingram sighed. "Sir, it's true I assumed Superior was the murderer at first as well. But however when Torry ran away from us in the middle of our fight in the meadow he ran after him. I gave chase, and it was then I ran into the real murderer. The Red Coat." Ingram said gravely.

Taylean unclasped his hands form behind his back. "And do you have proof of this?"

Ingram looked down. "Undoubtedly Lenorence torched the remains in the forest, but I think-" He trailed off reaching into one of the pouches on his belt and produced the red burnt sleeve of the red coat he'd picked up. "Here, the sleeve of the red coat."

Taylean took it from him and inspected it, he shuddered slightly. "Yes, this is indeed a part of the Red Coat." He agreed, looking at Ingram. "Were you able to destroy the red coat?"

"Well we tore it to shreds sir." Ingram said. "But we were unable to destroy the remains as that was when Lenorence took us away. Though I'm sure he's torched the area."

Taylean nodded. "And this young man helped you fight off the Red Coat?" He asked looking to Superior who met his gaze calmly but not saying anything.

Ingram nodded. "Yes sir, not only that but he saved me when I got captured within the coat and nearly had the life squeezed out of me," He said raising his bandaged arm. "The coat gave me this, but it would've taken my life if he hadn't come to my aid." He took a deep breath. "Whether or not he came with ill intentions or not, he saved my life as well as countless other victims the Red Coat would've taken had he chosen to stay safe and avoid the Red Coat." He said nodding to Superior who smiled slightly.

Taylean nodded. "I will take that into consideration Jin," Ingram nodded and bowed his head as Taylean turned towards Superior. "Now then, Superior was it?" He said looking at Superior, the teen looking up at him. "What were you doing in our territory in the first place?"

Superior bowed his head. "I was trying to reach the Aquos Country." He said. "There's someone there I needed to meet with as soon as possible, and as cutting through your territory was the quickest route, I decided to take my chances, and hope I could get through with minimal trouble." He glanced away.

Taylean unclasped his hands behind his back and crossed his arms. "There are proper channels you can go through to get from one place to another, or you can pass through the White Kingdom to get to any of the Countries much more easily. To be caught intruding on our territory is an offense punishable by up to 2 to 3 years in prison. And considering your lack of affiliation, you'd be sent to the White Kingdom to be processed," Superior's eyes narrowed. "And that's something I highly recommend you avoid in the future." He said Superior frowned but nodded slowly.

"You-you're going to throw Superior in prison?!" Torry cried moving in front of Superior, Ingram letting out an irritated sigh as the boy clenched his fists. "But he didn't do anything wrong! If he hadn't trespassed-"

"Torrence." Taylean said firmly the boy falling silent eyes wide. "While I am terribly sorry of the fate that befell your parents, I did not ask you to speak. You are young and as such must speak only when spoken to in the presence of your elders and your leaders." Torry gulped and looked down.

"S-sorry sir." Torry said wringing his hands together.

"Also, I must advise you against jumping to conclusions." Taylean said as he turned away from them clasping his hands behind his back once more. "Ingram, as punishment for disobeying me you're being put in my Ravenoid ranks, serving as part of my guard for the next two weeks." He turned his head slightly to Ingram. "And that means you may only act on my orders, disobedience will not be tolerated."

Ingram winced but nodded. "Understood sir,"

"And for your first duty as my guard," Taylean said looking to Superior. "You will escort Superior to the Aquos border." Superior blinked. "In light of the actions he took in defense of the citizens of Ventus at the risk of his own life I will allow him temporary amnesty in Ventus land. However, if he is still within Ventus borders by sundown tomorrow, he will be treated as any intruder found in our lands will be."

Superior quirked a small smile and nodded. "Thanks, sir." He said.

"That will be all," Taylean said as the Ravenoid guards who'd been at the door moved forwards and began to uncuff Superior and Ingram. "These two are to be taken straight to the hospital and receive treatment immediately; as for the boy." He said glancing at Torry who looked up uncertainly. "Take him to the orphanage until a next of kin can be found to take him in."

The Ravenoid's nodded as they stepped back from Ingram and Superior, the two now uncuffed. Superior rubbed his wrists slightly wincing a bit in pain. Ingram on the other hand didn't get up right away; it took him a moment before he pushed himself to his feet swaying slightly.

One of the Ravenoid's went over to Ingram and slung one of his arms over their shoulder. "Come on you, let's get you patched up." The Ravenoid said guiding Ingram towards the doorway. Superior followed after the two walking with his hands at his sides, amethyst eyes half lidded showing how weary the teen really was.

Torry watched as Ingram and Superior left, before he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder making him turn to the Ravenoid guard. "Come on," The other Ravenoid guard said gently, "Let's go, there are a whole bunch of kids at the orphanage who'd probably love to meet you." The Ravenoid said crouching slightly by the boy holding out his hand.

Torry looked at the guard uncertainty before he took the offered hand and followed the Ravenoid out.

Taylean sighed as he looked up at the ceiling. "Now to deal with Lenorence." He muttered shaking his head.

/-/

The sun was high in the sky, a brand new day to bring light after the dark day of yesterday.

However deep in the woods, where the sun could only manage a few slim rays of light through he dense leaf canopy above, two travelers managed to make the day especially bright. Or, one was decked out in armor and was muttering curses against it as he struggled to make himself comfortable in it, as the other laughed at their misfortune.

"Ngh," Ingram grunted as he messed with his shoulder armor. "I feel like someone gave me armor that's too big," He said scowling. Once Lenorence had gotten wind that Ingram was being placed among Taylean's guard as a Ravenoid he'd been eager to put in that Ingram should wear only the official Ravenoid armor and nothing else. Which meant that Ingram had to leave out the mask that normally covered the bottom of his face, making all his expressions and emotions as clear as day to those around him, especially since he refused to wear the Ravenoid's helmet. Well, at least until he finished his first 'task'. The armor was annoying enough to adapt to without the helmet to obscure his vision as well.

"It was probably that Lenorence guy." Superior said tilting his head to the side frowning. "He seems to have quite the grudge against you."

Ingram snorted. "He's been like that ever since we were in the academy," He said shaking his head. "I was the best of the class, and he was the second. He just couldn't stand that I had been held at a higher standard than he, and he did everything in his power to try and bring me down."

"Wow, he holds quite the grudge." Superior said frowning. "You'd best be careful around him."

Ingram eyed him. "Lenorence is irritating yes, but he's nothing I can't handle. Don't worry." He said then frowned. "You know its bothering me, despite being unaffiliated you have a name." He said as they neared a river.

Superior didn't say anything for a moment looking up and down the bank of the river before up at the trees. "Well why wouldn't I have a name?" He asked evasively as he went over to one of the trees and began to climb up at. "If I didn't have one what would anyone call me?"

Ingram narrowed his eyes. "Are you saying 'Superior' is your only name?" He asked as he went over to a different tree and ran straight up the trunk before coming to a stop atop one of the higher branches. Superior watched him frowning, though it almost looked more like a pout

"Show off." He said shaking his head as he clambered up the trunk of the tree, his boots occasionally slipping on the trunk.

Ingram jumped over to the tree Superior was climbing up and offered him his hand. "Ventus have to be proficient at scaling to all sorts of heights with ease. Running up vertical walls or trees is a normal part of our training." Superior took his hand and Ingram pulled him up. "And you didn't answer my question."

"Does it matter?" Superior asked frowning.

Ingram tilted his head. "Well, see names are important. I mean the one given by your parents tells us what they hope for our future, and then our warrior name or 'Spirit Name' as the White Kingdom calls it, is the one we find within ourselves when we come of age." Ingram's eyes narrowed. "But you're unaffiliated and yet 'Superior' doesn't sound like a name a parent would bestow upon their child."

Superior snorted and closed his eyes. "Superior is my true name," He said simply. "Whether it's my spirit name or not, it's the only one that matters to me. " He said simply before he turned away from Ingram to look towards the north in the direction of Aquos territory. "How much farther till we reach Aquos?" He asked.

Ingram frowned at the subject change and he looked to the North as well. "Well the river is a good sign," He said nodding to the expansive river that lay before them. "Aquos is a very watery country; most of their territory is water."

Superior tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like it allows for much land for them to settle on." He said.

Ingram frowned. "Well back in that day that was a big issue." He said as he jumped across the river to the branch of a tree on the other side of the river. "Ventus and Darkus had to deal with Aquos trying to encroach on their territory for a long time citing that particular reason."

Superior drew back on the branch he was on before he took off at a run and leaped over the river. He missed the branch, but Ingram had been ready for that and grabbed the teen's arm before he could drop and hauled him onto the branch with him. "Thanks." Superior said as he straightened up on the branch they stood on. "So how'd they resolve it?" He asked.

"The White Kingdom solved it," Ingram said simply as he dropped down from the tree. Superior scowling at how easily he did it. "It was around that time the White Kingdom was established as a neutral party in the center of the countries to keep the peace." He explained as Superior began to climb down from the tree. "The White Kingdom started up a research project for Aquos in search of ways to build underwater cities, or cities on water. Thanks to their efforts Aquos was able to turn their inhabitable waters into watery paradises. Or so they're called." Ingram said.

"And since most of their territories water, it must not be as easy to invade as the other countries." Superior remarked.

Ingram shrugged. "I guess, personally I just wouldn't want to live surrounded by water, I like the forests of Ventus. Plenty of tall places to be."

Superior chuckled as he reached the ground, grinning in triumph. He turned to Ingram just as a loud crack reached their ears.

"What was that?!" Ingram said whirling around back towards where they had come and their eyes widened. In the middle of the river a familiar messy blond haired kid was flailing about splashing water everywhere.

"Ah! Help me! I can't swim!" Torry wailed, before he sunk under for a moment as Superior and Ingram rushed over to the river bank. The kid resurfaced a moment later coughing and crying.

"What's the kid doing here?!" Ingram said in alarm looking at Superior who was shrugging off his new gunmetal grey jacket he'd been gifted in Izuno.

"It doesn't matter, we'll find out after I get the kid." Superior said as he took off his visor revealing his rather luminescent purple eyes and kicked off his boots before he dove in.

"Can you swim yourself?!" Ingram demanded as Superior surfaced several feet away from the bank.

"I was built for just about every situation," Superior replied as he swam towards Torry who had gone back under and a few bubbles drifting downstream alerted the two to where he was at. Ingram watched from the bank as Superior took in a deep breath and went under water.

Ingram eyed the water edging towards where Superior had gone under watching worriedly. Then after a few tense moments, Torry's head broke the surface, the kid gasping and coughing. Barely a moment later Superior surfaced as well the teen panting slightly though not looking particularly short of breath.

Holding Torry up with one arm Superior swam back towards the bank, ending up a bit down river from where Ingram stood. Superior pushed Torry out, the kid scrambling out of the water before Superior hauled himself out as well.

"What in the world are you doing here?" Ingram demanded as he came over placing Superior's stuff he'd brought over off to the side as Superior stripped off his black shirt and rung it out into the river. Torry sniffed, he was wearing a now very damp dark green hoodie with yellow on the inside of his hoodie, and a lighter green shirt that was untucked underneath it, and khaki shorts and dark green sandals.

"I-I didn't want to stay." He whimpered looking down. "My auntie," His eyes welled up with tears. "She didn't want me," He said sounding dejected.

Superior's eyes narrowed. "That's stupid," He said as he put on his wet shirt, running a hand through his wet locks of hair.

'_Not to mention cruel.'_ Ingram thought as he looked at the shaking little boy in front of them. _'Bad enough the kid just lost his parents, but to be rejected by his only next of kin is just… Horrible.' _

"So why are you here?" Ingram asked folding his arms across his chest.

Torry looked down messing with his the hem of his hoodie. "I-I wanted to ask if I could go with Superior."

Superior frowned. "Me?" He said then he shook his head. "No way kid. I'm sorry; the life I live is way too dangerous for a kid like you."

Torry blinked. "But-but you were so nice to me! I thought you cared!" He cried tears welling up in his eyes.

Superior looked off to the side. "I do kid, but you're still so young, and I get into some ugly scrapes." He said, making Ingram look at him raising an eyebrow. "And not all of them are for as good of a cause as saving your life was." He added meeting Ingram's gaze, then he looked back at Torry "If you came with me and you got hurt, I wouldn't forgive myself."

Torry looked down and then back up. "You could train me!" He said clenching his fists. "I promise I'll work hard!"

Superior eyed the kid then he shook his head. "Torry." He said kneeling down in front of him so they were eye to eye. "How bout this," He said placing a hand on Torry's shoulder. "You go back with Ingram, and you train as hard as you can, then when you're ready, you come find me, and we'll travel together, okay?" He asked smiling slightly.

Torry looked down before he nodded wiping his eyes. "Okay." He said quietly.

Superior smiled and straightened up ruffling Torry's hair. "That's a good kid," He said stepping back and pulling on his boots and tossing his jacket over one shoulder. "Then I guess this is where we part ways Ingram,"

Ingram frowned "I thought I was taking you to the border." He said placing his hands on his hips.

"Head towards water right? I can hear the waves from here." Superior said slipping on his visor, Ingram noting how Superior's eyes lost their luminescence when the visor was slipped over them. Superior inclined his head to the north. "They can't be more than a mile away, and Torry's starting to look awfully cold." He said nodding to the kid who was indeed starting to shiver. "It'll be dark soon, and he shouldn't be out at night when it's cold and he's drenched." He said. "So you take him back for me, and I'll keep going on ahead."

Ingram frowned slightly but then he sighed and held out his hand. "Can't argue with that logic, but take care." He said.

Superior nodded taking his hand and shaking it before pulling back. "Thanks you too." He said turning to go.

"Oh and Superior?" Ingram said.

Superior turned and looked at him. "Yeah?"

"Next time we meet let's have a real sparring match." Ingram said. "No cheap shots like the one in the meadow."

Superior blinked and then he smiled slightly. "Sure," He said nodding before he turned away and raised a hand. "See you two later." He said before he made his way down the path and towards the Aquos border.

Ingram watched him go, watching as the ally who helped him beat the Red Coat grew smaller and smaller. Then once Superior disappeared from sight Ingram sighed. "Welp, time to go back kid-" He looked towards his side where Torry was supposed to be only to see the kid was gone. "Oh you've got to be- damn it!" He said taking off in the direction of the Aquos border.

'_Should've known the kid agreed too easily.' _Ingram thought with a growl, trying to pick up the pace but the unyielding armor of the Ravenoid uniform weighed him down and made the process rather slow going unfortunately.

He reached the border just as Superior boarded the grand white boat with a mysterious man with a blue Mohawk and pale skin with an almost bluish tint with big black shades talking amiably beside him. Ingram scowled as he settled in the tree he was in and he peered around for Torry. The boat was beginning to close up, so the kid had to appear sooner or later, unless he'd already boarded…

It was then that Ingram spotted a flash of green dart out from the bushes and launches itself in the closing door. Ingram's heart clenched as the door continued to slip closed. There was no way the kid would make it!

Then Ingram watched in awe and in shock as the kid seemed to blur with green energy and disappear in a flash into the ship just as the door snapped shut cutting off the green trail of energy the kid left in his wake.

"Well I'll be damned." Ingram said straightening up as the boat pulled away from the dock and began to move out towards deeper into sea. He cocked his head debating what to do. He couldn't go after them; he had to report to Taylean.

'_Superior's not going to be happy, but there's not much I can do now.'_ Ingram mused with a sigh. _'But damn, too bad, that kid had a lot of potential. To follow us, and then to use spirit energy when he's only 9? Ventus is losing one good warrior.' _Ingram thought turning away from the border and beginning to make the trek back towards Izuno.

'_I don't know what Superior's true motivations are, but I know he's a good man at heart, and hopefully no matter what his path takes him and Torry down, they both don't lose themselves along the way.' _Ingram mused as he jumped up into the trees the sinking sun gleaming off his dark green armor as he moved. _'But I know one thing.'_

'_I'll be waiting for when we can engage in the dance of combat once more, Superior.'_

A/N: Holy. Fucking. Hell.

This story is 37 pages long

37 PAGES.

Just. Phew. I'm beat.

Anyways yeah not the greatest of endings. Damn it Torry! Why can't you do what Superior tells you?

Also which bakugan is Torry? If you guess right you get a cookie.

So yeah this is sort of an intro fic to a baku humanized series. And that may feature a few of our beloved human characters.

Anyways I worked super hard on this one shot. So I'd really appreciate you guys giving me a review telling me your thoughts, what bakugan you'd like to see next and all that fun stuff.

Torry: Yeah I want to find out what happens next! So review please.

Also quick note in case anyone's wondering who Lenorence is, Lenorence is an OC bakugan who has yet to appear in DD, he's Alica Turner's bakugan. And Superior is of course, the mechanical bakugan in Meredith Raynet's ownership in DD.

Also the title 'Dancing Shadows' is in reference to what was Superior's original story (Returning Shadows/Rising Shadows) Which I took down because it was just… awful. But anyways first fic with Superior in it as more than just the brief cameo he got in DD.

So yeah anyways REVIEW damn it! I worked my ass off, all I'm asking is for 1 to 2 minutes from you guys to review.


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